The Story of Christmas
As told in Matthew and Luke (NIV)
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a
census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
And everyone went to his own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David,
because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged
to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby
to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, I bring
you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;
he is Christ the Lord.
This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel , praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning
what had been told them about this child, and all who
heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby, who was lying in the manger.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered
them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen,
which were just as they had been told.
On the eighth day...he was named
JESUS
the name the angel had given him
before he had been conceived.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi (wise men) from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
...and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them
until it stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
On coming to the house, they saw the child with his
mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him
with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.
Jesus, the light of the world, has come with
love and hope and glory.
He came to show us how much God loves us . . .
That is the Christmas Story.
I hope you all have a very Blessed Christmas!
Thank you to my friend Brandi for sharing this tutorial, you can find how to make this post into a book here.